Analysis shows 53,000 Wisconsin children remain without health coverage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2018
CONTACT: William Parke-Sutherland, Health Policy Engagement Coordinator
wparkesutherland@kidsforward.net, 608-284-0580, ext. 317
A decade of steady progress in reducing the number of uninsured children came to a halt in 2017 and reversed course. The number of uninsured children nationwide increased by about 276,000 last year, according to a new report released by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.
The new analysis found that about 53,000 Wisconsin children, or 3.9 percent, did not have health coverage in 2017, a slight increase from the previous year.
William Parke-Sutherland, the Health Policy Engagement Coordinator at Kids Forward, said Wisconsin’s ranking nationally has slipped from 12th to 22nd over the past four years. “The substantial drop in our ranking illustrates that Wisconsin could be doing a much better job of helping uninsured children participate in BadgerCare and get the health care they need.”
Three-quarters of the children who lost coverage between 2016 and 2017 live in the 19 states that have not expanded Medicaid. The analysis shows that in Wisconsin, which has not fully expanded Medicaid, there has been no improvement in the child uninsured rate since 2015.
“With an improving economy and low unemployment rate, the fact our nation is going backwards on children’s health coverage is very troubling,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University research center and a research professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy. “This report, particularly for states that did not expand Medicaid, is a warning sign to policymakers. Barring new and serious efforts to get back on track, there is every reason to believe the decline in children’s coverage is likely to continue and may get worse.”
Parke-Sutherland, said the new data provide clearer and more compelling evidence of why it’s so important for Wisconsin to expand BadgerCare eligibility so more parents would have access to quality, affordable health insurance.
“Parents who are participating in BadgerCare are more likely to sign up their kids for coverage as well,” Parke-Sutherland explained. “That’s extremely important because having insurance enables kids to get and stay healthy so they can enter school ready to learn and succeed in life.”
This is the eighth annual report on uninsured children published by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, an independent, nonpartisan policy and research center founded in 2005 with a mission to expand and improve high-quality, affordable coverage for America’s children and families. The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families is based at the McCourt School of Public Policy.
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Kids Forward advocates for effective, long-lasting solutions that break down barriers to success for children and families in Wisconsin. Using research and a community-informed approach, Kids Forward works to help every kid, every family, and every community thrive.